Shoemaking appliance for shaping the backs of shoe uppers



May 16, 1961 E. A. G. BERTRAND SHOEMAKING APPLIANCE FOR SHAPING THE BACKS OF SHOE UPPERS Filed May 5, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR EwElVE 44.6. BERTRA/VD ATTORNEYS 2,983,934 SI-IOEMAKING APPLIANCE FOR SHAPING THE BACKS OF SHOE UPPERS Filed Ma 5, 1959 May 16, 1961 E, A; G. BERTRAND 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR EUGENE A. 6. BERTRA/VO ATTORNEYS May 16, 1961 E. A. G. BERTRAND 2,983,934

SHOEMAKING APPLIANCE FOR SHAPING THE BACKS OF SHOE UPPERS Filed May 5, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 3- 5 I JJ 5 v l I 26 ii v 1 L Ii. f /2,/ l2, l2,

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INVENTOR EUGENE A. 6. BERTRAND ATTORNEYS United States Patent SHOEMAKING APPLIANCE FOR SHAPING T BACKS 0F SHOE UPPERS Eugene Alphonse Gabriel Bertrand, 22-bis Rue Joutfroy,

' Paris, France Filed May 5, 1959, Ser. No. 811,104

Claims priority, application France Aug. 5, 1958 Claims. (Cl. 12-54.3)

Shoemaking appliances are already known for the premolding and shaping of the back of shoe uppers, thme appliances consisting of a die and metal counter die between which the back of the shoe upper is inserted. In these appliances, the space provided between the die and counter die is fixed and consequently does not allow the user instantaneously to take into account the thickness of the upper to be shaped.

On the other hand, the counter die has a special profile intended to cooperate with the profile of the die, and consequently, it it is required to change the die, that is to say, if it is Wished to give the shoe upper another shape, the counter die must also be changed.

The present invention seeks more particularly to obviate these disadvantages.

Another purpose of the invention is to producea shoemaking appliance in which the counter die can be adapted to all die profiles whatever may be the curve of the latter and the thickness of the upper to be pre-molded.

Another purpose of the invention is to obtain on the shoe upper to be pre-molded, a regular pressure over all the contact surfaces.

Other purposes of the invention will appear in the description made with reference to the following drawings, in which;

Figure l is a front view of the shoemaking appliance comprising two die counter die units, one of these units being in the working position, the other in the inactive position.

Figure 2 is' a left side view of Figure 1, the unit in the inactive position being shown.

Figure 3 is a detailed top view of one of the gripping devices shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a partial front detailed and enlarged view of the appliance shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a left side view of Figure 4, the unit in the inactive position being shown.

According to the invention, the appliance shown in Figures 1 to 5'0)? the attached drawings, essentially comprises two distinct work units each composed of a die 1 and a counter die'2.

The die 1 is mounted on a base 13, on which is also mounted a gripper device, ensuring for said die 1 the gripping of the back of the upper of the shoe 3.

The counter die 2 is mounted, by means of an attaching device such as a screw 2 to the bottom part of a control jack 5. It consists of a casing 2 on which a mobile partition 2 is mounted, providing between it and the casing 2 a space forming an inflatable counter die 2 supplied with compressed fluid through a piping 26.

The die 1, mounted on the stand 13, remains fixed, whereas the counter die 2, integral with the piston 5 of the control jack 5 can assume two positions:

(a) A top position called an inactive position during which the operator positions the upper 3 on the die 1.

efiected by compressed fluid coming through a piping 27? and admitted through a bore 5 into the casing 5 The up-stroke of the piston 5 is effected by a device such as a spring 5 compressed during the down-stroke of the piston or by any other suitable means.

The counter die 2 having been moved downwardly into engagement with the back of the shoe upper is locked into position by the movement of ball member 5 into an annular groove 5 in the lower part 5 of the casing-5 The movement of the ball members 5 into the annular groove is caused by the upward displacement of counter piston 5 when fluid under pressure from conduit 25 is directed against the underside thereof. The upward travel of the counter piston 5 is limited by a stop pin 5 extending into bore 5 and adapted to abut against the radial face of the piston.

A tension spring 5 is secured at one end to counter piston 5 and at its other end to piston 5 When fluid under pressure from conduit 25 causes upward displacement of the counter piston 5 the tension spring 5 is caused to be extended. As the fluid pressure acting on the underside of counter piston 5 is reduced the tension spring 5 contracts and returns the counter piston 5 to its normal position. When this occurs, ball member 5 moves out of the annular groove 5 to allow disengagement with the counter die 2 from the shoe upper and the retraction of piston 5 The guiding of the piston 5 of the jack 5 in relation to the casing 5 of the latter is ensured by a rod 7, integral with the counter die 2 and moving in a guiding part 6,

itself integral with the casing 5 of the control jack 5.

The mounting of the upper 3 of the shoe on the die 1 is effected by means of a gripping device 12 ensuring, first of all, the seizing of the upper 3 and then the pulling down of said upper by a downward movement of the gripping device 12. w

This gripping device, shown more particularly in Figure 3, is pivotally mounted by means of a spindle 12 on the support 13 and comprises fixed grippers 12 and mobile grippers 12 pivoting around spindles 12 under the effect of small connecting rods 12 whose displacement is controlled by the rod 11 of a jack 11. The jack 11 has a bore 11 in its casing 11 enabling a compressed fluid to act on a piston 11 integral with the rod 11 this fluid being admitted into the jack through piping 22 as shown in FigureZ.

The pivoting movement of the gripping device unit 12 on the support 13 is controlled by a jack 8 bearing by its casing on the fixed stand of the machine constituting the shoemaking appliance. The piston 8 acts on the gripping device 12 to cause the latter to pivot around the articulation spindle 12 The admission of fluid into the jack 8 is ensured by a piping 23.

The positioning or regulation of the height of the die 1 on the support 13 is effected by means of the pieces or parts 15 and 16 (see Figure 5).

The rod 15 is an integral part of the support 13. A corresponding hollowing out is made on the die 1 and serves as a housing for this rod 15. In order to regulate the die 1 with respect to the support 13, it would sutfice to displace the die 1 heightwise and to turn the screw 16 which is threaded through the die 1, and which locks against the rod 15.

The die 1 is preferably provided with a heating device such as an electric resistance 14 placed in a reaming 1 of the die 1, as shown also in Figure 5, and the heating device 14 is preferably controlled by a thermostat 28.

The admission of compressed fluid into the control jack 5 and into the inflatable counter-die 2, is controlled by a cock 10 regulating the admission of a compressed fiuid into these members, which compressed fluid is itself admitted into the cock 10 through a piping 24 connected to a general source of supply.

The admission of compressed fluid into the jack 11 for controlling the opening and closing of the gripping device 12 and into the jack 8 controlling the pivoting of the gripping device 12 around the articulation spindle 12 is ensured by valves 18 whose opening and closing are themselves controlled by means such as a pedal 19; cooperating with mobile parts 20 acting on said valves 18.

The valves 18 are supplied from a piping 21 connected to the general source of supply, a mano-pressure release being mounted on the piping.

The shoemaking appliance, shown in Figures 1 to 5, comprises two work points, each controlled independently at the other, each point having a die 1 and counter The working of each of these work points is as follows:

(a) The operator places an upper 3 on the die 1 and engages the upper between the fixed gripper 12 and the mobile grippers 12 of the gripping device 12.

(b) By pressing on thepedal 19, the compressed fluid acts on the gripping device 12 ensuring the closing of the latter, and on the jack 8 controlling the displacement of said gripping device around the articulation spindle (112 which causes the upper 3 to be stretched on the By acting on the cock 10, which has two work positions, the operator successively admits the compressed fluid:

Into the jack through line 27, causing the down-stroke of the piston 5 and consequently that of the inflatable counter die 2 onto the die 1 covered by the upper 3 (1st position of the cock and Into the inflatable counter die 2 through lines 25 and 26 which thereby inflates the cushion and simultaneously fluid is introduced into the piston 5 of the jack 5 ensuring the up-stroke of the counter-piston 5 and locking the inflated counter die 2 in its bottom position (2nd position of the cock 10). This inflation of the cushion 2 and its locking as shown in Figure 4 is substantially simultaneous.

After the deformation of the upper 3 on the die 1 (deformation assisted by the heat provided in the die 1), the operator, by acting on the cock 10, stops the admission of compressed fluid into the jack 5 and the inflatable counter die 2, the latter deflates and the piston 5 rises to its inactive position.

(e) By releasing the pedal 19, the operator then stops the admission of compressed fluid in the jack 11 and 8; thus releasing the shoe upper 3 on the die 1, and controlling the opening of the gripping device 12.

(f) The operator finally removes the shoe upper 3 from the work point, this upper then being pre-moldcd and embossed.

The upper thus molded will subsequently be placed on the wooden last, in the operation for making the shoe, and it will not be necessary to pull very hard on the upper to make it assume the shape of the wooden last.

In the shoemaking appliance shown in Figures 1 to 5, the arrangement on the same appliance of two work points, enables a higher output to be obtained by positioning one upper on one of the work points, while the other is still being used.

In this example of the embodiment of the shoemaking appliance, the control of the jacks is ensured by a compressed fluid such as compressed air, but it is quite obvious that this fluid could just as well be a liquid fluid.

It is quite obvious that the invention is not restricted to the form of embodiment described and shown. If so required, recourse may be had to other methods and other forms of embodiment without going outside of the scope of the invention for that purpose.

More particularly, appliances can be made comprising more than two work points.

What I claim is:

l. A shoemaking appliance for shaping the backs of shoe uppers comprising a die for supporting and shaping upper backs of varying thicknesses, gripping means for holding said backs in place on said die, means for actuating the gripping means, means for causing the gripping means to stretch the upper on the die for stretching a back smoothly over said die, heating means for heating said die and thereby facilitating the shaping of the backs, an inflatable counter die means adapted to fit loosely around the back supporting die and a supported back when the counter die is uninfiated, means for advancing and retracting said counter die means into and out of juxtaposition with said support die and supported back, and means for inflating said counter die and thereby applying an even molding pressure to all parts of every back intermediate the dies.

2. A shoemaking appliance as described in claim 1 and characterized in that said gripping means comprises a support for said gripping means, stationary gripping arms fastened by corresponding ends to oppositely disposed sides of said support, a source of fluid under pressure, cylinder means connected to said pressure fluid source, means for controlling said pressure fluid to said cylinder means, a piston means having a piston rod in line with said support and slidably mounted in said cylinder and responsive to said pressure fluid to move in said cylinder linearly, arms pivotably attached at their ad jacent ends to said rod, said last mentioned arms being attached at their opposite adjacent ends to movable gripper arms disposed in opposed relation to said stationary arms, said movable gripper arms being pivotally mounted on spindle means, said spindle means being mounted on said support intermediate the movable gripper arms whereby when said piston is displaced in said cylinder by operating said pressure fluid control means to admit pressure fluid to said cylinder, the free ends of said movable gripper arms move tomake contact with said stationary arms, said arms being adapted to grip an upper back positioned on said support die.

3. A shoemaking appliance as described in claim 1 and characterized in thatsaid means for advancing and retracting said. counter die into and away from juxtaposition with said support die comprises in combination with the source of pressure fluid, a cylinder means connected at an end with said source, the other said cylinder end having opposed annular slots, control means for controlling the admission of pressure fluid to said cylinder means, a hollow piston means slidably mounted in said cylinder means and responsive to said pressure fluid to move linearly in said cylinder means, said hollow piston having walls with oppositely disposed slots in line with said annular slots when said piston means has been advanced into juxtaposition with said support die,

1 balls mounted in said piston wall slots, ball-biasing counter piston means slidably mounted in said hollow piston for biasing said balls to engage in said cylinder wall annular slots and thereby to lock said hollow piston to said cylinder wall at a point of maximum linear displacement of said hollow piston against the pressure of inflation of the counter die.

4. A shoe making appliance as described in claim 1 and characterized in locking means carried by said ad- 15 2,740,976

vancing and retracting means are provided to lock the said inflatable die, when inflated, in fixed position to exert said molding pressure and means to deflate and disengage said inflatable die from said first die.

5. A shoe making appliance as described in claim 4 characterized in that said locking means and said inflatable means are operated substantially simultaneously.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,850,999 Baynard Mar. 29, 1932 2,047,259 Finn July 14, 1936 2,305,689 Gross et al. Dec. 22, 1942 Freeman et al Apr. 10, 1956 

